Trump’s Hyperbole

“You have to respect the office even if not the man.”

Who said it? Representative John Lewis on NBC “Meet the Press” March 8, 2015.

Of whom was it said? Barack Obama. Has Mr. Lewis suffered memory loss?

Flawed as he is Donald Trump is our President. The mantle of leadership rests on his shoulders.

His most ardent supporters must concede he is flawed. Fortunately flawed people can be high achievers. Abraham, liar, Moses, murderer, David, adultery, all had major character deficits yet were achievers. Consider also Trump’s competition for the office is rumored to be flawed.

There is one area Trump exceeds them all. He is the master of hyperbole. His use of such adjectives as the greatest, the best, the most, perfect, and other kindred comments can not all be accurate. Detractors will exploit them. Most who exaggerate anticipate their listeners will accept their embellishment as intended for emphasis not reality. When listeners interpret overstatements as literal truth, conflict occurs.

Hyperbole goes well in a hunting camp, but not in the Oval Office. To say a deer weighed a ton doesn’t mean it weighted exactly 2,000 pounds, it means it was a big deer. To say there were a million and a half people at an event doesn’t mean there were exactly 1,500,000 people there, it simply means there was a very large crown.

Another unbecoming trait is President Trump’s vanity. The minimization of the personal pronouns, I, me, my would be welcomed. They punctuate the comments of an egotists and no one is favorably drawn to a solipsist. His accomplishments are many. However, it is unbecoming for individuals to exalt themselves.

If he doesn’t change these uncomplimentary traits, will the public become impervious to them, and instead give attention to the type government he forges? Hopefully he will settle into a more becoming role as President. I pray his achievements will attract more favorable attention than does his personal unbecoming demeanor.

There is a anti-Trump segment of our society that will be difficult to placate. Many of those who did not favor his candidacy seem to think no one did. Much of the opposition is manufactured, even paid for. They who have been so insistent on everyone being inclusive are now highly exclusive. The “Women’s March” is exhibit A. It should have been called the Liberal Women’s March in that they excluded pro-life women’s group and men.

Our culture is not what it once was which means it can change. It is at a point where it must change for the good or it will degenerate. Basic is Jesus’ teaching to love one another. He did not tell us to agree with one another. Lamentably we are at the point where if you don’t agree with the vocal dissenters there is something wrong with you. The Christian ethic contains basic principles common to most faiths. The diminution of the faith community means less regard in society for its ethical system and its crown jewel, love.

Love one another is now defined like a slightly older sister who responded to her little sister’s question as to what love one another means by saying, “You are one and I am another, and you are supposed to love me.”

We will never all agree with one another. Neither will we all love one another. However, we must all learn to be civil with one another or we will destroy one another.